Asperger syndrome

Asperger syndrome is a former diagnostic label for an autism-spectrum presentation associated with social-communication differences and restricted interests, without significant language or intellectual delay.

Autism spectrum disorder: A neurodevelopmental condition involving persistent social-communication differences and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. Current diagnostic systems include presentations once diagnosed separately as Asperger syndrome.
Hans Asperger: An Austrian pediatrician who described children with patterns later associated with Asperger syndrome. His clinical reports supplied the name and early account of the diagnosis.
Autistic disorder: A former diagnostic category characterized by social and communication differences and restricted or repetitive behavior. It was distinguished from Asperger disorder chiefly by language and developmental history.
Diagnostic overshadowing: The attribution of a person's symptoms or needs to an existing diagnosis instead of assessing them independently. An autism-spectrum label can obscure co-occurring conditions or distinct support needs.
Social communication: The use and interpretation of verbal and nonverbal signals to exchange meaning in social interaction. Differences in reciprocal interaction and interpreting social cues were central to the former diagnosis.
Autistic psychopathy: Hans Asperger's historical term for a childhood pattern of social difficulty and focused interests. This was the label Asperger used in his 1944 clinical paper.
Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified: A former diagnosis for pervasive developmental differences that did not meet criteria for a specified subtype. It was another autism-related category consolidated with Asperger disorder in newer classifications.
Autism self-advocacy: Efforts by autistic people to represent their interests and influence policies and services. Self-advocates have shaped debates about diagnostic language and the meaning of autism.
Restricted interests: Strong, focused interests that may be unusually intense or narrow in scope. These interests formed part of the characteristic profile associated with Asperger syndrome.
Lorna Wing: A British psychiatrist who helped establish autism as a spectrum and popularized the term Asperger syndrome. Her 1981 account brought Asperger's work into wider English-language clinical discussion.

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